APPLETON, Wis., April 24, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by the announcement of a major new public land preserve in Brown County.
The Land Trust has acquired and begun developing the Wequiock Creek Natural Area. The project adds a 73 acre corridor—the equivalent of 36.5 Lambeau Fields—to the more than 6,000 acres already preserved by the Land Trust. The land will support hands-on education and research for universities and local schools. It also will give residents access to more recreational space for walking, hiking, birding, picnicking, photography and other activities in a region that has been losing green space to development.
"This land was slated to be residentially developed, so on Earth Day we feel incredibly excited and fortunate that it will now be permanently protected," said Deborah Nett, executive director of the Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust.
The new natural area will preserve 1 mile of a 1.9-mile conservation corridor stretching from Wequiock Falls to Point au Sable. It is an area with high cultural significance to several Native American tribes and is the location where French explorer Jean Nicolet first landed.
From an environmental standpoint, the preserve also will:
- Improve water draining into Green Bay
- Preserve a popular birding site
- Create new habitats to support threatened wildlife
"The wetland complex is seen as a five-star hotel for migratory birds—the only significant coastal wetland in the bay of Green Bay," Nett said.
In coming months the Land Trust and its partners, Town of Scott and UW-Green Bay Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, will restore agricultural fields to native oak savanna and make other careful improvements to create a destination place for visitors. The land will officially open as Wequiock Creek Natural Area on September 12, 2020.
For more information, contact Deb Nett, Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust, at 920-850-5793.
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About Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust
Headquartered in Appleton, Wis., Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust is a nationally accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to permanently protecting Northeast Wisconsin's special natural places. With conservation partners, it works to sustain quality of life and preserve environmentally significant lands in 12 Wisconsin counties. Since its founding in 1996, the Land Trust has preserved more than 6,000 acres of natural land. Learn more at http://www.newlt.org.
About the Project
The Wequiock Creek Natural Area is owned by the Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust. Funding sources include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's prestigious National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant, along with individuals and organizations such as Fox River Trustees, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay and the David L. & Rita E. Nelson Family Fund through the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.
SOURCE Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust
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